Avon High School (Connecticut)
Encyclopedia
Avon High School is a high school in Avon, Connecticut
, United States
serving grades 9–12. As one of the 5 schools in the Avon Public School system, its only feeder school is Avon Middle School. The student population is about 1200, but projections see huge increases for future enrollment. Because of this, the school has undergone extensive renovations. Beginning with the 2007–2008 school year, the principal is Jason Beaudin.
The following areas are currently open: both gyms (new and old), the bathrooms and lobby area around the new gym, the new cafeteria and kitchen, new wing of classrooms on a third floor.
An indoor track was proposed, but due to a lack of funding it was canceled.
, English
, Science, World Languages, Health, Visual Arts
, Music, and Physical Education
. There are 67 subject area teachers.
In order to graduate, students must earn a minimum of 22.5 credits according to the following distribution:
Avon High School is notable for its AP Science program, encouraging top scholars of the school to take AP Science classes in their first year of the particular discipline of science, somewhat uncommon of AP Sciences, due to their rigor. Avon High School is notorious for receiving a high 5 rate in the AP Sciences, particularly AP Chemistry. However, due to the first year nature of these AP Science classes, they take up 2 periods of the day, uncommon to any other course offered at the high school. Many of the top scholars of the school are rather irked by the lack of accreditation awarded by these classes though, as they only receive 1.25 credits as opposed to the 1 credit given to single period non-AP science courses. This extra .25 credit is seen by the student population as a mere meaningless token for their doubled time commitment both in school and out of school, and is insufficient to allow for even the slightest reduction in number of classes necessary.
The capstone of the Avon High education is the Senior Mastery Project, a required component of the 12th Grade Humanities curriculum. Students spend one semester researching a topic of their interest with the close guidance of a faculty adviser. The semester culminates with an extended essay explaining the research, a visual presentation to be displayed in the library, and a 30-minute presentation during Senior Mastery Night.
World Languages are not required, but are encouraged. Languages offered include Spanish
, French
, Greek
and Latin. Arts credits are also not required, but most students will elect to take at least one arts unit. Most departments offer electives in addition to the core curriculum. Past offerings have included Law, Genocide, Writing Workshop, Anatomy and Physiology, and Marine Biology.
The music offerings at Avon High School have expanded in recent years. Ensembles currently include:
Bands
Choirs
Other musical opportunities include the strings program, jazz band
, American School Band Directors Association festivals, American Choral Directors Association
festivals, and Connecticut Music Educators Association All-State Festival.
Team, Katie's Club, Model United Nations
, National Honor Society
, Gay-Straight Alliance, debate club, cooking club, Peer Support Club and Yearbook
. The Model U.N. club has been successful in local and state level competitions, and the Robotics Team, named the ÜberBots, recently ranked in the top four internationally at the Championships in Atlanta, Georgia.
pep rally, the upperclassmen wear creative outfits reflecting AHS colors. Juniors wear blue and seniors wear any color, sophomores wear white while freshman do not dress up in theme oriented outfits, as they simply wear school colors. Only seniors are permitted to dress up for Halloween
, the celebration of which surrounds the senior parade through the hallways of the school for faculty and underclassmen. For graduation, girls wear white and boys wear blue. Most seniors decorate their caps for the graduation ceremony. The school mascot is the falcon
and the colors are blue and white. The yearbook is called the NOVA, which is Avon spelled backward.
and the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference. Several athletes have earned All-America status and many athletes go on to have successful collegiate athletic careers. Offerings include cheerleading (co-ed), cross country (boys and girls), field hockey, football, soccer (boys and girls), volleyball, crew, basketball (boys and girls), ice hockey (joint program with Farmington and Windsor), swimming, wrestling (co-ed), baseball, golf (boys and girls), lacrosse (boys and girls), softball, tennis (boys and girls), track (boys and girls).
Facilities for field hockey, football, cheerleading, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, track, and girls lacrosse are located at the high school. Boys lacrosse and girls tennis play at the middle school. Soccer, softball, and cross country have home bases at the Fisher's Meadow recreational facility. Strong sports rivals include Canton High School
, Farmington High School, Simsbury High School
, and Suffield High School
.
Recent notable accomplishments by Avon High athletic teams include several CIAC state championships. Teams that have not won a state championship that are known for their strong performances include boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, and volleyball.
Avon, Connecticut
Avon is a town in the Farmington Valley region of Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. , the town had a population of 18,098.Avon is a suburb of Hartford. Avon Old Farms School, a prestigious boarding school, is located there. In 2005, Avon was named the third-safest town in America by...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
serving grades 9–12. As one of the 5 schools in the Avon Public School system, its only feeder school is Avon Middle School. The student population is about 1200, but projections see huge increases for future enrollment. Because of this, the school has undergone extensive renovations. Beginning with the 2007–2008 school year, the principal is Jason Beaudin.
Renovation
The school started its new renovation project in 2006 and was completed in the fall of 2008. The school had been renovated once before, an effort that was completed in 1997. The new renovation includes the addition of classrooms, a second gymnasium, a new kitchen and cafeteria, orchestra room, two or more media centers, and several interior cosmetic changes.The following areas are currently open: both gyms (new and old), the bathrooms and lobby area around the new gym, the new cafeteria and kitchen, new wing of classrooms on a third floor.
An indoor track was proposed, but due to a lack of funding it was canceled.
Changes in the 2008-09 year
Following Len Fenelon's retirement from his role as assistant principal, Dr. Scott Ratchford will join the AHS faculty as Assistant Principal and will deal most closely with grades 9 and 11. Students of the 2008-09 year will also be the first to use the newly revamped library and academic wing (housing English, Science, Special Education, and Computer Science classes). In addition, due to the increase in student population, the traditional three-cycle lunch wave system has been modified to accommodate four 25-minute lunches. Other minor changes include several new flat-screen announcement screens, new trees and plants, as well as over 250 new computers.Academics
Academic departments include Math, Social StudiesSocial studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
, English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Science, World Languages, Health, Visual Arts
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
, Music, and Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
. There are 67 subject area teachers.
In order to graduate, students must earn a minimum of 22.5 credits according to the following distribution:
- English - 4 credits
- Social Studies - 3 credits (1 of United States History, 0.5 of Civics)
- Science - 3 credits (1 of Biology)
- Mathematics - 3 credits
- Physical Education - 1 credit
- Health - 0.5 credit
- Humanities - 0.5 credit
Avon High School is notable for its AP Science program, encouraging top scholars of the school to take AP Science classes in their first year of the particular discipline of science, somewhat uncommon of AP Sciences, due to their rigor. Avon High School is notorious for receiving a high 5 rate in the AP Sciences, particularly AP Chemistry. However, due to the first year nature of these AP Science classes, they take up 2 periods of the day, uncommon to any other course offered at the high school. Many of the top scholars of the school are rather irked by the lack of accreditation awarded by these classes though, as they only receive 1.25 credits as opposed to the 1 credit given to single period non-AP science courses. This extra .25 credit is seen by the student population as a mere meaningless token for their doubled time commitment both in school and out of school, and is insufficient to allow for even the slightest reduction in number of classes necessary.
The capstone of the Avon High education is the Senior Mastery Project, a required component of the 12th Grade Humanities curriculum. Students spend one semester researching a topic of their interest with the close guidance of a faculty adviser. The semester culminates with an extended essay explaining the research, a visual presentation to be displayed in the library, and a 30-minute presentation during Senior Mastery Night.
World Languages are not required, but are encouraged. Languages offered include Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
and Latin. Arts credits are also not required, but most students will elect to take at least one arts unit. Most departments offer electives in addition to the core curriculum. Past offerings have included Law, Genocide, Writing Workshop, Anatomy and Physiology, and Marine Biology.
Arts
Arts offerings include music, visual arts, and theater arts.The music offerings at Avon High School have expanded in recent years. Ensembles currently include:
Bands
- 9th grade Concert BandConcert bandA concert band, also called wind band, symphonic band, symphonic winds, wind orchestra, wind symphony, wind ensemble, or symphonic wind ensemble, is a performing ensemble consisting of several members of the woodwind instrument family, brass instrument family, and percussion instrument family.A...
- Symphonic Band
- Wind Ensemble (need to audition)
Choirs
- Girls Concert Choir
- Mixed Concert Choir
- Chamber Choir
- Women's Choir
- Men's Choir
Other musical opportunities include the strings program, jazz band
Jazz band
A jazz band is a musical ensemble that plays jazz music. Jazz bands usually consist of a rhythm section and a horn section, in the early days often trumpet, trombone, and clarinet with rhythm section of piano, banjo, bass or tuba, and drums.-Eras:SwingDuring the swing era in the mid-twentieth...
, American School Band Directors Association festivals, American Choral Directors Association
American Choral Directors Association
The American Choral Directors Association , headquartered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, is a non-profit organization with the stated purpose of promoting excellence in the field of choral music...
festivals, and Connecticut Music Educators Association All-State Festival.
Controversies
In 2005, several Avon High School seniors made a Pep-Rally T-Shirt that made a reference to Beer Pong. While the shirt was initially approved by the school, the students purchased many of the shirts. However, under further review, the administration reversed their decision, banning the shirts from pep rally. Nonetheless, several students remained steadfast and decided to wear the previously-approved shirts that they had paid for. Currently, Avon High School now employs a strict Pep-Rally T-Shirt policy, forbidding shirts with even the slightest connotation of offense. Many students are surprised to find the potential questionable undertones of their shirts.Activities
The Avon High website notes that, "Avon High offers a great variety of extracurricular activities for students to get involved. A wide array of sports teams is well complemented by an eclectic mix of school clubs and groups." Popular extracurricular activities include Student Government, the Avon Volunteers On Newness (A.V.O.N.) Club, Diversity Club, FIRST RoboticsFIRST Robotics Competition
The FIRST Robotics Competition is an international high school robotics competition organized by FIRST. Each year, teams of high school students compete to build robots weighing up to , not including battery and bumpers, that can complete a task, which changes every year...
Team, Katie's Club, Model United Nations
Model United Nations
Model United Nations is an academic simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate participants about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations agenda....
, National Honor Society
National Honor Society
The National Honor Society is a recognition program for high school students in grades 10-12 in the United States and in several other countries...
, Gay-Straight Alliance, debate club, cooking club, Peer Support Club and Yearbook
Yearbook
A yearbook, also known as an annual, is a book to record, highlight, and commemorate the past year of a school or a book published annually. Virtually all American, Australian and Canadian high schools, most colleges and many elementary and middle schools publish yearbooks...
. The Model U.N. club has been successful in local and state level competitions, and the Robotics Team, named the ÜberBots, recently ranked in the top four internationally at the Championships in Atlanta, Georgia.
Traditions
Avon has many unofficial student traditions that have lasted over the years. Some of the most commonly observed traditions include seniors decorating their cars on the first day of school. Senior girls also wear dresses and tiaras on the first day of classes. For the homecomingHomecoming
Homecoming is the tradition of welcoming back alumni of a school. It most commonly refers to a tradition in many universities, colleges and high schools in North America...
pep rally, the upperclassmen wear creative outfits reflecting AHS colors. Juniors wear blue and seniors wear any color, sophomores wear white while freshman do not dress up in theme oriented outfits, as they simply wear school colors. Only seniors are permitted to dress up for Halloween
Halloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
, the celebration of which surrounds the senior parade through the hallways of the school for faculty and underclassmen. For graduation, girls wear white and boys wear blue. Most seniors decorate their caps for the graduation ceremony. The school mascot is the falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
and the colors are blue and white. The yearbook is called the NOVA, which is Avon spelled backward.
Sports
Avon High School has an extensive and successful athletics program that frequently earns recognition in the North Central Connecticut ConferenceNorth Central Connecticut Conference
The North Central Connecticut Conference is a high school league, and is a part of the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference.-Member schools:*Avon High School*Bolton High School*Canton High School*Coventry High School*East Granby High School...
and the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference. Several athletes have earned All-America status and many athletes go on to have successful collegiate athletic careers. Offerings include cheerleading (co-ed), cross country (boys and girls), field hockey, football, soccer (boys and girls), volleyball, crew, basketball (boys and girls), ice hockey (joint program with Farmington and Windsor), swimming, wrestling (co-ed), baseball, golf (boys and girls), lacrosse (boys and girls), softball, tennis (boys and girls), track (boys and girls).
Facilities for field hockey, football, cheerleading, volleyball, basketball, wrestling, track, and girls lacrosse are located at the high school. Boys lacrosse and girls tennis play at the middle school. Soccer, softball, and cross country have home bases at the Fisher's Meadow recreational facility. Strong sports rivals include Canton High School
Canton High School (Connecticut)
Canton High School is a secondary school for grades 9-12 located in Canton, Connecticut. Its enrollment is about 550 as of 2009. The Canton Warriors are part of the North Central Connecticut Conference.-External links:* * * *...
, Farmington High School, Simsbury High School
Simsbury High School
Simsbury High School is a public school located in Simsbury, Connecticut. The school was ranked number 3 in Connecticut Magazine's list of Top Connecticut Public High Schools. It was also included in list of Newsweek magazine's 2009 top 1500 public schools, as well as earning the top and second...
, and Suffield High School
Suffield High School
Suffield High School is located in West Suffield, Connecticut, a town in Hartford county that abuts the Massachusetts border.-History:The first Suffield High School building was constructed in 1939. It saw its first graduating class in 1940. A wing was added in 1956 to accommodate student growth...
.
Recent notable accomplishments by Avon High athletic teams include several CIAC state championships. Teams that have not won a state championship that are known for their strong performances include boys lacrosse, girls lacrosse, and volleyball.
CIAC state championships
| Year | Team | Class | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Girls Soccer | L | Farmington High School |
| 2011 | Boys Tennis | M | Stonington High School |
| 2008 | Girls Basketball | M | Morgan High School |
| 2005 | Boys Basketball | Div. III | Fairfield Ludlowe High School Fairfield Ludlowe High School Fairfield Ludlowe High School is a co-educational secondary school located in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States.-Origins:Fairfield Ludlowe High School opened in the fall of the 2003–2004 as a satellite campus of Fairfield High School... |
| 2003 | Girls Soccer | M | Joel Barlow High School Joel Barlow High School Joel Barlow High School is a high school in Redding, Fairfield County, Connecticut. The school serves Redding and Easton students.... |
| 2002 | Girls Soccer | M | Waterford High School |
| 2001 | Girls Soccer | M | Lauralton Hall |
| 2000 | Boys Soccer | M | Lewis Mills High School |
| 1994 | Wrestling | S | |
| 1994 | Boys Track and Field | S | |
| 1993 | Wrestling | S | |
| 1993 | Boys Soccer | M | Lewis Mills High School |
| 1990 | Wrestling | S | |
| 1989 | Boys Soccer | M | Joel Barlow High School Joel Barlow High School Joel Barlow High School is a high school in Redding, Fairfield County, Connecticut. The school serves Redding and Easton students.... |
| 1989 | Wrestling | S | |
| 1988 | Boys Basketball | S | Windsor Locks High School |
| 1988 | Boys Soccer | M | Stonington High School Stonington High School Stonington High School is a historic school on Church Street in Stonington, Connecticut.It was built in 1888 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.... |
| 1987 | Boys Soccer | M | Waterford High School |
| 1987 | Girls Cross Country | M | |
| 1987 | Wrestling | S | |
| 1985 | Boys Soccer | M | Brookfield High School |
| 1985 | Girls Cross Country | M | |
| 1985 | Girls Cross Country | Open | |
| 1985 | Boys Golf | Div. II | |
| 1984 | Boys Soccer | M | Joel Barlow High School Joel Barlow High School Joel Barlow High School is a high school in Redding, Fairfield County, Connecticut. The school serves Redding and Easton students.... |
| 1984 | Field Hockey | S | Weston High School Weston High School Weston High School is the name of several public and independent secondary schools in the United States:* Weston High School in Weston, Connecticut* Weston High School in unincorporated Jackson Parish, Louisiana... |
| 1984 | Girls Cross Country | M | |
| 1984 | Girls Cross Country | Open | |
| 1983 | Field Hockey | S | Old Saybrook high school |
| 1983 | Wrestling | S | |
| 1982 | Wrestling | S | |
| 1976 | Boys Soccer | M | Middletown High School |
| 1968 | Baseball | S | Cromwell High School |
| 1962 | Baseball | S | Coventry High School |
External links
- Avon Public Schools website
- Avon Football Online
- Collinsville Press
- http://www.avon.k12.ct.us/info/Staff/default.asp?BID=1
- http://mail.avon.k12.ct.us/~cboland/?OpenItemURL=S00A45377
- http://www.avon.k12.ct.us/arts/apsarts/performarts/index.htm#ahsmusic
- http://www.avon.k12.ct.us/avonhigh/activities/
- http://www.avon.k12.ct.us/avonhigh/activities/athletics/